Athletes Rep blasts George’s led AFN, Calls For Transparency, Accountability

Athletes Rep blasts George’s led AFN, Calls For Transparency, Accountability

By Our Reporter

Factional Athletes Representative, Himah Charles, has called on the board of the fractional Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) led by Olamide George, to embrace transparency and accountability in carrying out the activities of the federation.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP sports, Charles also expressed discontent on how the athletes were poorly paid by the AFN under the leadership of Olamide George at the test run of facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Edo state ahead of the postponed 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF) recently.

‘’I must be sincere here because I represent the athletes, what was given to the athletes which were even after the meet, as the athletes representative is totally unacceptable and highly insulting to the calibre of athletes who came and were paid N10,000,’’ he said.

‘’When I spoke to the federation president and I told him with all sincerity, even if the athletes don’t complain I will complain on their behalf, because the athletes expressed bitterness to what was given to them by the president."

‘’Over 120 athletes were invited for the test run but about 70 came to the meets because it was already close to the festival and some of the states didn’t release their athletes over fears of the athletes getting injured before the NSF’’.

According to him, ‘’The money given to the athletes was far less than a million, but rumours that there was a certain amount that was approved which was far more than what the president said’’.

‘’I can out rightly quote the president which he said that it was only N 3million that was released by the Edo state government. Even at that I felt even though N3million was released the athletes should have gotten more than what they received.

He further rates the performance of the AFN board led by George, while noting that international best practices should be adopted in the affairs of the federation.

‘’Averagely fair for now because there is always room for improvement. Everything that will be done by the athlete’s federation should be transparent and accountable for, I must be sincere if there’s a federation account then everything that goes through the account ought to be publicized’’.

‘’For example, we can sit in our comfort zones and know the amount Ronaldo is receiving and we can easily access it. If a company is coming to sponsor the athletics federation for 7 years we should know what we have in the account and let there be transparency in federation’’.